Mike,
Try a repair of Avast.
Go to Control Panel than Add/Remove Programs, and than click on Avast like you are going to remove it. You will get a Repair option under like three options. Click that. Follow the prompts after that. You may need to reboot.
Jack
Mike,
The other thing that I was thinking of is, when you said, SB, I assume you mean Spybot Search and Destroy. Do have the Tea Timer installed for Spybot S & D? A long time ago, I heard that this can conflict with Avast.
For best results, Avast a lot of times does not like other always running shields from competing programs in the background.
Try uninstalling Spybot S & D and see if that improves Avast updates. I would leave Spybot S & D uninstalled. If you want it through and choose to reinstall it, don't include the Tea Timer utility. (This MAY require a Custom Install of SBS&D.) If you do the Typical install, UNCHECK anything associated with Tea Timer.
Than if you are still have problems, and with Tea Timer uninstalled, run the Avast Repair utility. Report back so we can see how it went.
Jack